Sitting here in Bebe Cafe after we missed our ferry (we walked too slowly - it was hot!). I'm thinking about things to maybe say about the people here. So far the non-expats, i.e. the actual locals, have been...ordered, quiet. There's a lot of signs with advice and warnings, although not always obeyed. So, quiet, but when you speak to them, say your over-emphasised pleases, sorrys and thankyous, and you meet the occasional eye, you'll at times be given a shy smile. It's nice. Not brash and somehow it feels earned.

Norah Jones playing at the moment - nice. I'd forgotten about this album.

Postcard to my mates Emma and Helen - one of my comments: "I've been doodling and attempting to 'travel write' - is it possible to do this without feeling judgemental and somehow a bit colonial and patronising?' Hmm.

So, anyway, after that waffle, a summary of yesterday - Zoe, Tabs and I went to Lamma Island. It's beautiful. Occasionally a bit ramshackle in a tarpaulin and corrugated iron way. Stalls selling the usual - summer clothes, lots of food (we had some yum Thai stuff), lots of fish stalls with live fish floating around ready to be eaten. One was MASSIVE (well, it was to a British, non-fisherman eye anyway). It had a whole tank to itself.

We ambled through and I saw loads of butterflies (no photographs I'm afraid as I'm not that ninja with my camera and they never sat down). Went to the beach and dozed in the shade plus walked in the water - I was wearing my glasses so didn't actually swim, but I walked in to about shoulder height. And yes, the water was warm. On the beach there was a woman filming herself to make a yoga video, which I thought was cool. Wanted to try to help her lol.

As I said we missed the ferry, and so had a nice time reading (them), and writing and drawing (me) in a cafe. Then once back we quickly showered and changed then went to see the light show. It is cheesy, but it's nice. There's something about us humans, we like light. Fireworks give you that feeling, dawn really gives you that feeling, and flashy light shows give you sparks of that feeling of joy and that all is or at least it certainly will be well.

Then dinner - Turkish, on this place called something like Knutsville Terrace - loads of great restaurants there. Then home to catch the last half of Encounters of the Third Kind.

Today Tabs and Zoe are off to Shenzen to find handbags and I'm going to the botanical gardens to see flowers and monkeys!